Sunday, November 30, 2008

Very near my home is Carkeek Park, which is the home of Piper's Creek. About 12 years ago, the creek was stocked with Salmon. The Salmon have been returning to spawn regularly ever since.This is very exciting to me, living in the middle of a big city, and Salmon are spawning about a mile and half away!

Thanksgiving is the "peak" of the spawning season. I headed down to the park today to check it out. The pictures of the fish didn't come out so great, but here they are!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Seems people weren't so frightened about a "theocracy" when public officials were blatantly faithful in the past.

President Lincoln, 1863:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A case that challenges President-elect Barack Obama's name on the 2008 election ballot citing questions over his citizenship has been scheduled for a "conference" at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Conferences are private meetings of the justices at which they review cases and decide which ones to accept for formal review. This case is set for a conference Dec. 5, just 10 days before the Electoral College is scheduled to meet to make formal the election of Obama as the nation's next president.

Update 1/1/2009:The Supreme Court declined to take this case. I was not a big believer in this line of questioning, but posted this for others at a political blog I frequent. I think there is little to no reason to think Barack wasn't born in Honolulu, where both of his parents lived when he was born.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Well, my guy lost. However, America has taken a huge step in living up to the promise of it's founding: Anyone, regardless of race (and I also think, regardless of sex) can become the President of the United States of America.

God bless America, and God bless President-Elect Obama. I was encouraged by his victory speech, where he referred to Lincoln, and his role in preserving the nation and freeing the slaves.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Take a look at the latest from my uncle, Eric Miller, at the Passion For Murder blog. In this post Eric briefly makes the case he makes in his bookPassion For Murder that Dr. Sigmund Freud was a serial killer.

An excerpt:

In Passion for Murder I wanted to get on record my thesis and the foundation evidence. Actually, I think a careful study of my book does offer sufficient proof that Freud looks like a serial killer, walks like a serial killer, and quacks like a serial killer--now I will follow up with detailed info of those he killed. In 1984 the criterion for indentifying a serial killer had not yet been developed by the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI at Quantico laboratories. That actually came out in late 1984, after publication for my work. This is a great boon for me. I spoke in PFM of Freud's Homicidal Mania, We have learned a great deal about serial killers since publication of my work. And I myself was amazed at how Freud's hand (unlike O.J.'s?) fit into the glove. The focus of the serial killer profile now offers a great opportunity to show how Freud absolutely fits the profile--indeed, one might say the profile was made to fit!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

"I'm not going to lie to you - it doesn't take a weatherman to know that hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, a hard rain is gonna fall, all along the watchtower," said the Delaware Senator, strumming on a pantomime guitar. "There will be a point -- maybe one week, maybe two weeks after the inauguration -- when the opinion polls will look bad. Really horribly bad. Despite our best efforts, a couple of mid-size cities will inevitably be vaporized. People will be complaining. 'Why are you nationalizing the Safeway?' 'When is Omaha going to stop glowing?' 'Why do the Chinese soldiers keep asking for my papers?' When this happens, we will need you to keep supporting us because, trust me, you really won't want to be observed not supporting us."

I hate to admit it, I'm not so much for John McCain as I am against Barack Obama. There is a huge list of things that concern me about Obama, but I lay out only the major ones here. The following reasons make me question his fitness to be the President of the United States:

1) His record as THE MOST LIBERAL of all US Senators in 2007. As Obama admitted to Joe the Plumber, he wants to "spread the wealth around". I prefer keeping as much of the free will God gave us, and letting individuals "spread the wealth" around as they see fit.

2) His questionable judgement in associating with radicals, racists and crooks, people like* Frank Marshal- friend,* William Ayers - former (But unrepentant) domestic terrorist,* Beradine Dohrn - Ayers' partner in crime and wife ,* Reverend Wright - Obama's infamous former pastor of TWENTY YEARS,* Reverend Pfleger - radical Catholic Priest (who gave a pretty interesting sermon at Obama's former church) ,* Tony Rezko - Convicted felon and major Obama fundraiser,* Larry Walsh - political ally and friend in the Illinois State Senate,* Rashid Khalidi - an anti-Israeli friend,* ACORN - Obama worked as a community organizer and attorney for these guys, now under investigation in several states for voter registration fraud.

The question is not just his judgment, but that he minimizes his relations with these people. He's being deceptive. People deserve a little latitude about their associations, but there is a real and alarming trend here.

4) His campaign used 3rd world thug tactics in trying to shut down free speech in Missouri and Chicago to stifle dissent. Hey, I thought dissent was patriotic! This is really alarming to me. If elected, what else will he do to squelch dissent?

You may notice I don't list "lack of experience". I don't think that is really an issue, JFK and Bill Clinton weren't real experienced, and they were capable Presidents. It can be argued (but never is in the MSM) that Sarah Palin has MORE exeperince (certainly as an executive) than Obama. In any event, the lack of extensive experience isn't so big a deal to me.

John McCain has served his country his entire life in the Military and Government. He is the leading crusader in the Senate against earmarks (pork barrel spending), and he himself has never sought an earmark for his state of Arizona. He favors fiscal responsibility. Also, John McCain sounded the alarm about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in 2006. Whereas, Obama is the 2nd largest recipient in the Senate of FM&FM money, behind just Christopher Dodd, chairman of the FM&FM oversight committee. FM & FM are at the heart of the current financial mess the country finds itself in.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I'm very excited to announce that NEW, high-quality facsimile copies of my Uncle's 1984 book "Passion for Murder" are now available to the public through our self-publisher and sales agent, Lulu.com! We're selling the copies at $19.95. Copies of the original editions are selling on the internet for up to $200.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Readers of the blog probably can tell I'm not a proponent of the notion of "Man made global warming", HOWEVER, I am very much in favor of alternative energy sources like nuclear, wind, solar, biofuels and all the rest- Just to be on the safe side re: MMGW, and for national security reasons.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

This is my first stab at "citizen journalism", and, well I left the experience with a lot to be desired... first of all my camera didn't work, and secondly, I didn't talk to anyone. What I'm left with are my low-res camera phone pics, and my impressions. For what it's worth.

I arrived at 2:10 PM and left around 2:30 PM, and I estimated the crowd at about 300 people. I noticed about 5 other folks just drifting around like me photographing the scene. I overheard one of the photographers asking another if he was with The Seattle Times, and he said "No". Folks were trickling in the whole time I was there.

I'd say the overall feeling was one of subdued celebration. No chanting or speeches or any marching when I was there. There were a bunch of red, white and blue balloons (with no slogans) and I'd say about half the kids had Obama T-shirts and/or signs. The signs were fairly innocuous and cliché, sayings things like "Obama for Change", "Obama for the Future" and one kid had a sign that said, "Obama Rocks". There were 2 crafts tables for kids, and the kids were creatingvarious things, mainly Obama posters.

There was no food available when I was there. The Obama campaign would have done well giving away hot dogs or something similar. It would have created some good will with me as I was hungry ; )

Saturday, September 20, 2008

We have a new, cleaner, easier-to-read look, added content, but we're mostly excited about our new blog, where Butch will journal about his latest research into Sigmund Freud and his homicidal deeds and the conspiracy to cover Freud's tracks.

We will have the book ready for purchase soon. I have a proof copy, and it looks very good and seems to be very well made. Compared to my old, worn out and faded original copy, this one really shines! Whether we sell any books or not, we are excited to get the word out about Sigmund Freud via our website. Please help spread the word for us!

Friday, August 29, 2008

I don't want to do much politics on this blog, but I am very happy about McCain's VP pick...

McCain has shown courage and made a somewhat risky but exciting choice. The GOP base is excited with this choice, after fearing that McCain would "diss" them with his VP pick. Governor Palin brings an historic note to the GOP ticket, a counter the historic Obama candidacy. This pick also puts some disgruntled Hillary voters up for grabs.

I'm very impressed with Governor Palin. The mother of 5, her youngest is disabled, and one of her sons joined the Army on 9/11 of last year, and will soon be deployed to a combat zone overseas. She's been a town council member and mayor and Governor of Alaska. She's articulate, humble, tough and bright.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I went to Decatur Island in the San Juans last weekend with a bunch of buddies for our annual "Fantasy Football Draft". I went up Friday morning (alone), and most of us left late Sunday morning. I share a fantasy team with my buddy Vince, and this was our 4th draft (we were finally allowed to join this elite league in 2005). It is a big highlight of the year- spending time with good friends, playing volleyball, tennis and horseshoes, boating, swimming, eating great food, drinking great drinks, staying up late playing poker and of course, the centerpiece of the weekend, our 3 hour draft on Saturday morning! We are very fortunate to have a buddy whose family has this great cabin on the island. The boat ride up, the solitude of the place (very few vehicles on the island), the friends and the ride home add up to an amazing time.

It's a bit bittersweet, though, the Decatur trip signals the end of summer and the beginning of the fall NFL season. And for me, especially this year, it signals the begginning of the end of an amazing time of life, my big USA trip, freedom from the work world, hanging with friends and working on the house. I'll be doing my resume up soon and looking for a new job. Let me know if you know anyone that needs a good .NET programmer!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Seattle approves bag fee and foam ban

Beginning in January, shoppers must pay 20 cents for each plastic or paper bag they use at grocery, drug and convenience stores in Seattle. The Seattle City Council this afternoon also passed a ban on foam containers at food-service businesses that will take effect in January.

Beginning in January, shoppers must pay 20 cents for each plastic or paper bag they use at grocery, drug and convenience stores in Seattle.

The Seattle City Council this afternoon also passed a ban on foam containers at food-service businesses that also will take effect in January.

The city will distribute at least one free reusable bag per household, and it will consider providing more free bags to low-income shoppers.

"This is a voluntary fee," said Council President Richard Conlin, who worked with Mayor Greg Nickels on the proposal. "No one has to pay it. You only have to pay it if you choose not to use reusable bags."

**********

If plastic and paper bags are now officially deemed a threat by the glorious Seattle City council, and must be taxed out of existence, what is next? Banning smoking in restaurants and bars? Oh, yeah, they've done that already. Ban fires on the beaches (due to the emissions of CO2, dontcha know)? They'll take that up again next year. Installing cameras in your home to ensure proper thinking and speaking? OK, I made that one up...

Friday, July 11, 2008

My friend Mike invited me to go kayaking with him today at Greenlake (him and his wife each have a kayak, so he had one to loan). We loaded up the gear and headed to Greenlake at 10:45 AM. We got there, unloaded, and went kayaking around the lake from about 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. I crossed the lake a few times, cruised the shore and Mike went fishing. He caught a nice trout (which he fried up for lunch when we got back). I've been canoeing before, and enjoyed it, but I forgot how much fun it is, this trip was a blast today! It was sunny, warm and a bit breezy. Great therapy & exercise, being on the water. The views of the city from Greenlake are great. I'm looking forward to the next trip!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

I was a bit surprised but very proud and pleased to read this in the local music tabloid here in Seattle:

Friday 7/4

The Model Rockets, the Tripwires, Doll Test

(Tractor) If the words "Seattle," "power pop" and "genius" are used in the same sentence, there's a good chance that John Ramberg is the topic of conversation. Lately, the genre's secret weapon/superhero has most frequently been spotted fronting the Tripwires and rocking out with the Minus 5. Tonight, however, he's reconvened his old band, the Model Rockets, and they're going to knock your socks off. Far from being a stroll down memory lane, this is a reunion that should get your blood pumpin' and your body movin' and a-shakin'. The Model Rockets always emphasized the "power" in "power pop," and their '60s-inspired pop gems had just the right amount of dirt under their fingernails. They still do. Barbara Mitchell

A friend asked me just last night why I'm not famous- my brother Scott is locally famous as a motorbike racing genius and John as a musical genius. I guess natural gifts aren't always distributed evenly... However, I do have the natural ability to Russian dance which makes me the "funny human tricks" guy at many a wedding and parties!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

I have been keeping busy with my time off : ) I've been working on a website with my Uncle Butch to promote his book, "Passion For Murder: The Homicidal Deeds of Dr. Sigmund Freud". Butch wrote and published the book back in 1984. It is well documented and researched.

When I visited Butch in March, he showed me that copies of the original publication are selling for over $100 on the internet. That of course sparked my interest, and I offered to work with him to promote the book. He happily agreed.

A fruit of that labor is www.passionformurder.com, which we just launched today! Please take a look and give me any feedback you'd like to give (good, bad or ugly!).

Thursday, June 26, 2008

My sister got Beano (she named him!) when he was just a little kitten on or around 1993. Eva had rented from me for a long time, and when she bought her own place in 2001, she asked me to keep Beano. I'm not a big cat fan, but Beano was a tough, independent outdoor cat, and I agreed to adopt him. Beano enjoyed a little affection now and then, but never demanded attention. He was a warrior- he was always fighting some creature or another (usually other cats, I think). His ears bore the marks of a lifetime of battle.

This was only the 2nd time I've had a pet put down- it's a tough thing to do, as everyone knows. But, Beano was worn out. He wasn't eating, skinny as a rail, he was uncomfortable and just wasn't his old self. I cried a few tears as his life slipped away in the Vet's office, and afterward. Beano was a great old cat. This picture was taken about an hour before he went on to cat heaven. I now see how tired he was. Rest in Peace, Beano!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I have this blog now, so I decided to post a little now and then about various topics. I want the posts to be pretty much about everyday life, with a few current events, politics and religion tossed in.

I've settled back into life in Seattle. I helped my buddy Tim build a rock garden at his house, done some yard work at my house, and have started working on a web page for/with my Uncle Butch. I love the time off, and am in no hurry to get back to work... but I realize I'll need a job within a couple months. Life is good! (for now : )

I got my first professional massage today- it was great, well worth the price (intro price of $49). I tweaked my shoulder a year ago (while training for the Seattle to Portland bike ride), and it hasn't been the same since, so I decided to see how massage therapy works for me. I think it's helped the shoulder, but the relaxation you get made it all worth-while. I bought a 6 month membership, so I'll get at least 6 more massages.

On the way home, I had to get gas and I paid $4.06. First time I've ever paid over FOUR DOLLARS! Uggg. But the good news is that the Governor of Montana thinks his state has 40,000,000,000 (thats 40 BILLION barrels of oil). I hope he's right!

Although I'm not totally sold on man-made global warming, I really believe the US needs to really diversify our power sources. It just makes sense to be more energy independent, and not alter the CO2 content of the atmosphere more that we already are. We need more solar, better ethanol (not from just corn), wind and yes, nuclear power!

Friday, May 16, 2008

I said goodbye to everyone in Iowa on Tuesday morning. It was a little emotional saying goodbye to Aunt Lois and Uncle Bud... I dropped by Tina's place in Mason City to pick up my jacket, and headed to the little Iowa town of Belmond, where my paternal grandfather was born. My cousin Marty asked me to do a little genealogical research for him in Belmond. I dug through the city hall records and visited the cemetery. We got one little piece figured out, but a few others remain. Once done in Belmond, I hit the road and ended up at a Super 8 motel on the Missouri River in South Dakota for the night. Wednesday was a big 12 hour drive from South Dakota, through part of Wyoming and I stayed the night in Butte, Montana.

I left Butte at 10:00 AM MDT, and arrived in North Bend to pick up Midas at 5:00 PM PDT. I got home at 6:30 PM.

What a trip! It was the greatest adventure of my life. Thank you sooo much to all my friends and family who I visited and stayed with. You made the trip amazing! But, it is also wonderful to be home. After this huge trip, I realize the Pacific Northwest is a especially beautiful part of our great country. It was great to have Midas back, he seemed pretty happy to be back home, too.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

On Friday, I washed up, packed up and took Dolly to town, had breakfast and then dropped her off at home. We said goodbye, then I headed to Aurora, IL to visit my cousin Becky. Becky and her niece Tina (Tina is my oldest cousin Harry's oldest child) and I went out for lunch. We had a short but great conversation. It's always good to see Becky and Tina! I hit the road again and ended up at my cousin Gene's little acreage in Plymouth, IA for the night around 8:00 PM. My Aunt Lois (Gene's mom) dropped in to say hello.

On Saturday, I went to Lois' (who lives very near Gene) with Gene for breakfast. I visited my cousin Lois Jean with Gene in Mason City. Later, I visted my cousin Harry and his girlfriend in a nearby town with Uncle Bud. That evening Lois and Uncle Bud, Gene's girlfriend Jane, my cousin Vicki and her husband Clarence came over to Gene's, and Gene hosted a big and tasty steak dinner.

On Sunday, again went to Lois' for breakfast with Vicki and Clarence, then Tina and her daughter Tina came over, and we all headed to the Plymouth 1st Methodist for Sunday service. Afterwards, Vicki and Clarence left for home (about an hour away) and Aunt Lois took me to the Mason City Cemetery where I have a lot of relatives and ancestors buried. Tina (the same one mentioned above) hosted a wonderful Mother's Day dinner at her and her husband Dave's place in Mason City. Aunt Lois, Uncle Bud, Tina, Dave, Harry, Sue, Tina's kids Josh and Sara were all there. I played football in the back yard with the kids afterwards to burn off some cals : )

On Monday, had breakfast with Lois, lunch in Mason City with Gene and my cousin Richy. I headed to my cousin Lexie's where I looked at her computers (they're on the fritz, I wasn't able to get them going for her :( and met her wonderful children Ben, Joey and Jesslyn. Ben and Joey work on a nearby dairy farm, and I got a personalized tour! I hooked up Lois to the internet (per my Dad's request :) For dinner, we ate at Lois' with Lexie, her kids, Lois, Bud and me.

Tuesday, I got up, cleaned up, packed and headed to Lois's for breakfast. I'm blogging now, and will head to Mason City to pick up my jacket (left at Tina's on Sunday). I am very blessed with a large and loving family. I didn't know my family in Iowa very well, but this trip has made me a lot closer with a lot of them, and they all are wonderful people.

The final leg of the journey begins today! I should be home Thursday or Friday. I'll post more pics and a wrap-up post when I get home. Stay tuned (at least for a little while longer)

Thursday, May 8, 2008

I've been enjoying my stay with my Aunt Dolly here in rural IL. We've been having some fun and interesting conversations. On Monday, I went to town in the morning and got breakfast at a decent local restaurant. I jogged in the evening.

On Tuesday, I went to town and bought a new mailbox, which I put up for her. I went jogging in the afternoon and almost got eaten by a big dog with a bear-like head. Well, not really, but it was a bit of a scary encounter with a big, black 100 lb Rottweiler looking pooch with his fur up. The owner was nearby but didn't seem too concerned and just said, "Here, Sampson, here". He started after me again a couple more times as I tried to jog on, I finally asked the owner to hold onto cuddly Sampson until I was gone. She obliged. I took a long walk in the evening, avoiding Sampson's house : )

On Wednesday I had breakfast in town again and went shopping for dinner. Dolly had a couple of friends over that evening, and we had a nice chicken dinner together. I took a long walk in the evening.

I've enjoyed the slower pace of the last few days, I've been watching TV, exercising, doing a few little tasks around the house, reading and chatting with Dolly and a couple of her friends that visit.

I'm heading out tomorrow to visit a Cousin in Aurora, IL, then I'll head to the Mason City, Iowa area where both of my parents were born. I'll visit Aunt Lois, Uncle Bud and a few cousins there, then I'll be drivin' home. I've debated visiting Glacier, several of you have told me about how beautiful it is, but I'm feeling the call of home and will leave that for another trip. I expect to be home around Wednesday, 5/14. Less than a week to go!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

On Thursday, I drove to the Alewife subway station and took the subway into Boston. I got out at Boston Commons, what a place to first really see Boston! I walked around the Commons, grabbed a hot dog and pop, took pictures of the Statehouse (across the street) then proceeded down the "Freedom Trail". I really enjoyed it- the 2 mile walk goes by Paul Revere's house, Fureil Hall, the Quincy Market, the Old North Church, "Cheers" (a little less historical), the Old City Hall, a few very old cemeteries and ended up at the USS Constitution in Charleston. The Constitution was amazing, to see such an historic old ship (built 1796). I got back to Mark and Judy's, had dinner and hit the sack.

Friday, I got up and packed and lounged around. Mark and I had lunch at a Mexican place in downtown Milford (Judy wasn't feeling well, and she didn't join us), came back to the house and said my goodbyes, and I hit the road once again. It was an interesting drive, New York is a pretty big state actually. Lots of forests. Drove through Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo, saw the Erie Canal. I stayed the night in a motel in Westfield, New York.

On Saturday, I left the motel around 8:30, drove through the last bit of New York, through Erie, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and ended up in Compton, IL at my Aunt's house at 5:00 PM CDT. We chatted, ate a little dinner, and I hit the sack early. This morning, I woke up at 7:00, jogged around the block (in rural Illinois, that's 2.6 miles), cleaned up, chatted with Dolly, and headed to Chicago, where I met a friend from my church earning a Masters at Loyola for lunch. She was nice enough to let me use her computer to catch up on email and blogging, and here I am!

Well, my big trip is on the homestretch. I'll stay with Dolly for a few days, I'll stop by in Iowa to see more relatives (Have you figured out I have a big family?) for a day or two, then the big drive from Iowa to Seattle. I was thinking of stopping in Colorado, but I'm finally starting to get a bit homesick, and am thinking of getting home by mid-May.

Hope all of you are well. I'll see all my Seattle family and friends fairly soon!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

We had a great lamb dinner on Sunday Night with 4 of Sheila's friends. I got up early on Monday, packed, and went out for breakfast with Sheila, dropped Sheila off at the train station we said good bye, and I was off to Mark and Judy's in New Hampshire. Along the way, I stopped by in New Haven, Connecticut to look at the Yale campus (it was raining like crazy, and I got soaked!) and grab lunch. I hit the road again and arrived at Mark and Judy's place near Milford, NH around 3:00 PM. The house is very nice and big, and very old. Mark told me the house was probably built in 1750, but definitely before 1780. For a history buff like me, it is amazing to be staying in a colonial-era home! Judy made a wonderful roast beef dinner and the 3 of us relaxed and talked for the evening.

On Tuesday, I got up and had a leisurely morning, then I drove to Quincy, MA to see the President Adams homes (his birthplace and his nicer home he bought later) and library. I read the David McCullough biography John Adams, so it was extra interesting for me to see the homes. I got back around 4:00 PM, we went to a very good local diner for dinner.

I was up a little earlier this morning, Judy had the day off and Mark took the day off, and they took me on a little tour. We drove through and did a little sight-seeing in Concord and Lexington (Where the first battle of the American Revolution was fought in April, 1775). We then went to Salem, strolled the town and visited the "Witch Museum" and a very old cemetery. We saw a tombstone of a person that died around 1680, and it said "Mayflower Pilgrim". I didn't cut my toe and got a picture. Now, we're lounging around and watching TV, Judy will have another wonderful home-made dinner ready soon.

Tomorrow, I plan on doing the "Freedom Trail" in Boston. Life is good!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

I had parked in NO, was was walking toward the French Quarter when I heard the blow of a Riverboat whistle. In my youthful enthusiasm that has somehow hung on to middle age, I started running toward the Mississippi to see the boat. Think "Yay, a big river boat, I'm gonna get a nice picture!" I'm running through a parking lot, then toward the gate near the river, then all of a sudden I hit something and I stumble and fall. I evaluate the damage: raspberries on my hands and knees, I look at my feet in my sandals and I see some bleeding. I think, "Wow, that's odd. What caused that?" I look toward the gate. Tire shredding spikes! I found a nearby bathroom and cleaned it and bandaged it. Luckily, the spike hit my callous, and the damage wasn't too bad. I'm still alive and it's almost totally healed now. I didn't get the picture : )

Sunday, April 27, 2008

After lunch on Thursday, I just roamed around Manhattan, through a section called "East Village". The weather was spectacular, sunny and mid 70s. I met Sheila in Madison Park at 5:30 PM, we took the train back to her place in Queens. We drove to Little Bay Park for a short jog, then we dropped by a Greek restaurant (Sheila knows the owners) for dinner to go.

On Friday, I slept in, got ready to go, had a leisurely breakfast near the train station. Got on the train, headed to Manhattan again. Manhattan blows my mind, its so huge, tall and crowded. Fascinating to me. I walked around Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Catholic Church, then met up with Sheila at the Empire State Building. We went up, and we really enjoyed the view. But, we got kinda stuck on the observation deck. Why? Maria Carey was up on the observation deck doing an interview or something, and they decided to shut down all the elevators. There were a lot of upset folks up there! At least I got a picture of her (since we were stuck there anyhow). Afterwards, we headed down to the Battery Park area. We walked around a little, walked by "ground zero", and took the passenger ferry over to Hoboken New Jersey. I will now refer to Hoboken as "Hobroken" since the old (1920s?) ferry terminal there was literally falling down : ) We had a nice dinner at a Malayan restaurant, then roamed the waterfront, then we took the "PATH" train back to Penn Station, where we caught the RIRR train back to Queens. When folks got on at Shea Stadium got on the train, there was grumbling about the Mets losing.

Slept in again on Saturday (seeing a pattern?), Sheila went off to run errands, so I went for breakfast/coffee on my own. Met back at the house at Noon, we headed out in Sheila's car to pick up Julie, a friend of Sheila's. We then we drove out to the vineyards of Long Island on the South Fork on the eastern end of the island. We stopped at a beautiful looking diner that had decidedly so-so food. Can't win 'em all I guess! We visited two wineries for tasting: Duck Walk and The Channing Daughters. East coast wines taste very mellow to me, I liked the taste, but I'm not a connoisseur. We got back to town around 8:00 PM, and were tired so just ordered a pizza for dinner.

This morning Sheila and I went to her church (1st Presbyterian of Whitestone in Queens) at 10:30, it was a cute little building, about 100 years old. The congregation is very small, but full of love and spirit. After the service they had a little celebration for the birthday of the Pastor and a congregant. After that, they had a healing service. We left about 12:30, went food shopping and had coffee. We got back to the house at 2:00 PM, and here I am blogging!

I plan on leaving NYC tomorrow for Boston. New York has been great, and Sheila has been a wonderful host. We're having a lamb dinner tonight in honor of Orthodox Easter, with several of Sheila's friends. NYC is such a huge, interesting megalopolis you could spend years here to explore it all.